Association slams NFA’s role in managing beche-de-mer sector

Business

By CLARISSA MOI
NATIONAL Fisheries Authority (NFA) has failed its role in effectively managing the beche-de-mer industry when it was reopened in 2017, according to the PNG Fishing Industry Association.
President and chairman Sylvester Pokajam recently responded to The National regarding NFA’s notice on the opening of the beche-de-mer season being deferred until further notice, said NFA’s failure to manage the fishery included reopening the season in 2017 suddenly without medium to long term planning despite having an established a management plan.
He said NFA’s failure to manage the beche-de-mer industry after it had reopened was because of:

  • Insufficient public consultation meetings between NFA, industry and various stakeholders prior to reopening;
  • a lack of continuous awareness by NFA on post-harvest and quality management;
  • a lack of compliance and enforcement planning and insufficient financial support;
  • too many export licenses facilitated by NFA;
  • Papua New Guinean export license holders selling their licenses to foreigners, especially Chinese; and,
  • NFA’s failure to work effectively with the Department of Immigration, Labour and Employment, Customs, Foreign Affairs, airline and shipping companies, police, Bank of Papua New Guinea and respective local level governments throughout the maritime provinces to ensure a complete approach to effectively ensure better management of illegal activities by citizens and foreigners.

“The big problem is that there was no consultation by NFA with the stakeholders in this fishery and all the other fisheries,” Pokajam said.